»08/16/2012INDIAMary's Assumption and India's Day of Independenceby Errol FernandesThe two events fall on 15 August. People must wake up to India's problems and learn to deal with violence, female infanticide, environmental degradation, etc. Fr Errol Fernandes, a Jesuit parish priest and Seminary Professor in Mumbai, gives his thoughts about the Magnificat.

Mumbai
(AsiaNews) - Yesterday, India celebrated
65 years of independence. The Catholic Church celebrated the Assumption to
heaven of the Virgin Mary. Here are the thoughts on the relationship between
the two events of Fr Errol Fernandes, a Jesuit who teaches Holy scriptures at
archdiocesan seminary in Mumbai who is also the parish priest at Saint Peter's
Catholic Church in Bandra.

Today
(yesterday actually), we celebrate two significant and related events. These
are the Assumption of our Blessed Mother and Independence Day. Both are
celebrated on the same date: August 15.

The
reason why these events are related is because they are both about Freedom.
Independence is celebrated as freedom from foreign rule and domination to self-rule
and governance and the Assumption may be seen as a freedom from this limited
and incomplete life to the bliss of eternal and perpetual life.

The
verses which make up the Gospel text of today are commonly known as "The
Magnificat" or Mary's hymn of praise. It seems to have been modelled on the
prayer of Samuel's mother, Hannah, in 1 Sam
2:1-10, and contains many Old Testament concepts and phrases. It communicates a
picture of Mary as someone quite steeped in scripture. It reveals God primarily
as a God of the poor. God is the one who will vindicate the poor by removing
the rich and mighty from their positions and raising the lowly.

The
hymn may be seen to be divided into four parts. The first part consists of
praise to God for what he has done in and for Mary; the second part speaks of
God's power, holiness and mercy; the third part shows God acting as a Sovereign
in reversing social conditions in favour of the poor and downtrodden; and the
fourth and final part recalls God's mercy and promises to Israel.

The
hymn speaks of the effects of the Lord's coming for all of God's people. It
begins on a note of salvation as Mary acknowledges her dependence on God. It
was the grace of God that sustained and brought her to the position in which
she finds herself. She has not achieved anything on her own, it is all a gift
of God and thus, Mary acknowledges her humble state, referring to herself as
God's servant. She is to be called "blessed' because God, in his mercy and
goodness, had raised her to this level.

God
has shown this mercy and goodness to the poor by showing the strength of his
arm, by scattering the proud, and deposing the powerful. The poor, on the other
hand, have been raised, and the hungry have been filled. God remembers not only
those of old but also the present generation. He is a God not only of the past,
but also a God of the present, the now.

The
stress on God as a God primarily of the poor stands out in Mary's hymn of
praise. In a world where the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor,
poorer, one wonders whether the Magnificat is a hymn that can make sense to the
poor, to those of low degree. Yet, it is important to remember that God's ways
are not our ways and so, the poor must, in confidence, sing this song as their
song. The confidence with which Mary sings this song runs through the entire
hymn. She uses past tense to denote God's future actions, thus expressing that
God will indeed accomplish his will, and the poor will be vindicated. What is
important for the poor to realize is that they, like Mary, need to continue to
open themselves to all that God wants to do in them. They need to continue to
acknowledge their dependence on God by doing all that is required of them and
then, leaving the rest in his capable and strong hands.

Even
as we do celebrate these events, we need to ask ourselves serious questions
both as Indians and Christians. Can we be really free when in Assam a woman is
raped and dehumanized in full public view? Can we be really free when officials
stand by and watch and even participate in these dastardly acts? Can we be free
when female foeticide is so high in our country and where in many places the
girl child is seen as a liability and burden rather than a blessing? Can we be
really free when we are so intent on destroying our natural resources for
selfish ends and then have to wonder whether we will have enough rain to see us
through the year? Can we call ourselves Christians when we will not do anything
about these atrocities and continue with our lives as if it does not concern
us?

Are
we really free? Are we truly Christian?

Let
the celebrations of Independence Day and the Assumption of our Blessed Mother
be wake-up calls for us to rouse ourselves from our slumber and do something
tangible to right the wrongs.

CHINAWenzhou: 90-year-old bishop and 26 priests protest against cross demolitionsby Joseph YuanThis is not the first time that the old bishop and his priests speak out against the demolition campaign against crosses and churches, which has touched more than 400 buildings. During the protest, police tried to disperse the group, which sought to submit a petition. The faithful recite a Crown of the Divine Mercy is in support of the Chinese Church. In Lishui, churches are expected to be torn down by 31 August.

ISRAEL - IRANAfter nuclear deal, Israel ought to become Iran’s best ally by Uri AvneryThis is the thesis of Uri Avnery, leader of Gush Shalom, a major supporter of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. According to the great statesman and peace activist, Iran only wants to be a regional power in the Islamic world, able to trade with everyone, inspired by a sophisticated experience that goes back thousands of years. Iran, which faces backward-looking Gulf monarchies and emirates, could be a great ally against Daesh. Meanwhile in Israel Netanyahu, politicians and the media continue to blunder.